Blood Bond
by Shadow-Star Hatake
Summary: When Leo and I were kids we made a blood brothers pact but as we got older and drifted apart our bond broke. After my brother started to ignore me to train and watch our younger brothers I started to resent him to the point I wished he would disappear. I got my wish ten years later.
1. Our Vows

Blood Bond

When I was little I would always look up to my big brother Leo. Leo and I were close but unlike my other brothers, Leo and I were even closer than even our father thought we were. One night when both Mikey and Donnie were sleeping and our father was in deep mediation Leo and I snuck out of bed and ran into the dojo. Silently Leo and I entered the dojo and closed the door behind us as quietly as we could. Looking around I scanned for the one thing that would bond Leo and I for life. I looked at Leo who was also looking for it, Leo raised his head and pointed up. I followed his hand to a small knife on a pedestal. With Leo's help I grabbed the knife off the pedestal and opened it up. The light was shining even in the dark dojo.

Leo and I walked into the center of the dojo and kneeled down on the ground.

"You sure about this Raphie?" Leo asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah Leo I'm more sure about this than anything else." I answered.

Leo nodded and gave me his right hand with his palm facing up.

I took my right hand and placed side by side with his. With the small knife in my hand and made a small horizontal cut across Leo's palm. Leo gritted his teeth to keep himself silent. Both Leo and I nodded and I gave him the knife. Leo did the same thing as me on my palm. Placing the knife on the floor Leo and I linked each other's hands with our cuts touching and made our vows.

I, Hamato Leonardo bond myself to Hamato Raphael for life. Raphael you are my best friend in the whole world and I love you. With this act I tie myself to you, even if we drift away in the future this scar will always remain me that you are my blood brother. I hope that one day I can be as great as you are.

I nodded my head. Holding back the tears that were starting to form I stared into Leo's eyes and recited my vows.

I, Hamato Raphael bond myself to Hamato Leonardo for life. Leonardo I cannot imagine life without you in it. You are the thing I look up to and who I want to be. I tie myself with you and just like you even if we drift away in the future this scar will always remain me that you are my blood brother but I hope that we never will.

Leo and I tighten our grip onto each other and smiled. Cleaning up and tying a small pack of bandages around our hands Leo and I silently went back to our rooms to sleep.

But after our ceremony and vows Leo was chosen as the next head of the clan and to be leader. Leo was soon filled with duties and training that he never really had time for me. He would always go over to our two younger brothers when they cried. I started to feel separated from him. My big brother was now the center of attention and the apple of my father's eye. I rubbed my thumb over the scar on my hand and tried to remember that night but each time I remembered the more rage and desire to be better than Leo grew stronger and stronger. To the point I wished for Leo to disappear.

Ten years later I got my wish.

* * *

My brothers and I were out on a training run. When we stopped to rest near port. Mikey and Donnie were panting heavily and leaning on their knees. I was laughing internally because of how stupid they looked but externally I stared to argue with Leo like I always did.

"Great job Fearless you drag us out here on a stupid run to do what run us ragged?" I ranted.

"Raph you and I both know I that this is just a training run and that I would never do anything to hurt my brothers." Leo said.

"Whatever Fearless. If I were leader than things would go a lot better and you know that." I said accusingly pointing my finger at Leo.

"Raph just stop this already. I'm tired of you doing thing every time we leave the lair." Leo said exasperated.

Leo turned his back on me and started to get ready to move again. But this time was different, I was tired of him always turning his back on me. For years he would ignore me if we got into fights like this. I roared and tackled Leo from behind, he fell forward onto the ground. Leo turned on his shell and covered his head from my barrage of punches.

"Leo!" Donnie cried. "Stop it Raph!" Mikey added.

Mikey and Donnie grabbed both my arms and pined them behind me. Pulling me off Leo, I struggled under their grip. Leo stood up and wiped a streak of blood coming out of him mouth from a cut on his lip. I thought Leo was going to yell at me but all he did was shake his head.

I roared and threw Mikey and Donnie off me. Mikey and Donnie tumbled and fell at Leo's feet. This time Leo readied himself for me but as I shook with anger with my hands hovering over the handles of my sais, Leo's attention moved to the warehouse.

"What you afraid that I'll beat you that your starting to hear stuff?" I said.

But Leo was serious this time. My brothers and I turned our attention to the warehouse that Leo was watching and from the shadows we watched the Foot coming in and out.

"We need to leave" Leo stated.

"No way Leo this is our chance." I said.

"No Raph this isn't our fight."

"To hell it is. We can't just run away with our tails tucked under our shells back home with the Foot here caught in the act."

"Raph I'm not saying we need run away but we need to come back with a plan. We can't go running in with a warehouse full of who knows what."

Anger started to rise higher and higher within me.

"Forget you I'm not a coward. So unless you want to go run home back to father than go a head. I'll be the leader here."

I ran out of our hiding place towards with the warehouse with my sais in my hands. Leo looked at our brothers and shook his head. Taking out their weapons they followed me into the warehouse by the way of shadows.

I ran full force into the warehouse taking down any foot soldier that was had the unluckiness of being greeted by a pissed off me.

* * *

When I entered the warehouse I knew I was in trouble. The place was filled with Foot soldiers and some kind of machine in the center. I gripped my sais tighter and ran at full force at them. By now my brothers have joined and we all started fighting together.

"Raph this is stupid we need to leave." Leo yelled.

"No way fearless. Not when we're winning." I yelled back.

"Raph you don't understand their-"

"No you don't understand I'm tired of always being under your shadow. Now it's time for me to shine. It's time for me to be the better son. It's time for you to just disappear!" I shouted.

Leo looked at me with wide eyes but quickly got back into the heat of the battle.

"Donnie have you gotten closer to the machine?" Leo shouted.

"Almost, Leo just keep them off me for a few moments." Donnie answered.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Leo didn't answer me but when Donnie ran over to the machine and started typing on the keyboard he answered me.

"Raph I scanned the machine and found out that the machine is used to cause termers underwater. If this machine is allowed underwater then it will cause the sea floor to shake and the water above to move erratically and massive waves will flood anything near the water and drag people to their deaths."

"Oh crap" I said looking at the machine.

Donnie was working up dismantling the machine while me and my bothers fought around him. Mikey started to get pushed back towards Donnie so Leo ran over to him and took over his fight. Leo's side was cut by the edge of a blade when he pushed Mikey to the ground. Clutching his side Leo stood up with his sword pointed at the Foot soldiers while Mikey was laying on the ground shaking in fear. When I saw the sight of blood dripping off my brother I lost it. I may dislike my brother at time and I am very jealous of him but I never wanted to hurt him. As blood fell off and dropped into a small pool under him my eyes went red and started slashing and stabbing foot soldier like there was no tomorrow. Leo saw this and grabbed Mikey and Donnie and placed them behind them. Donnie was down is mantling the machine yelling,

"Guys it's done but we need to leave now!"

"Why Donnie?" Mikey asked.

"Because the Foot knew that if it was ever destroyed or dismantled that they had to go to plan B. Blowing it up."

My brothers turned around to and looked at the machine to see a timer counting down from thirty.

"Run I'll get Raph" Leo order.

* * *

Donnie and Mikey ran out of the warehouse into the water.

00:20

"Raph we need to leave now!" Leo shouted placing his swords back into their sheaths. But everything went through one ear through another. All I cared about was killing Foot soldiers.

00:15

"RAPH Listen to me there is a bomb!" Leo shouted.

Leo's voice was drowned out by the screams and gasps of the Foot soldiers my sais plunged into.

00:10

When I saw Foot soldiers running out of the warehouse I finally heard my brother's voice.

"Raphael we need to leave!"

00:05

When I turned around to look at my brother and the timer we both could see it was too late. We started running out of the warehouse.

00:03

"Raph"

I turned to look at Leo as we ran out of the warehouse.

00:02

"I'm sorry"

00:01

Leo rammed himself into me and I flew into a scaffolding collapsing it with my shell and having it protect me as the bomb detonated.

* * *

I coughed and blinked a couple of times. The air was filled with soot and my ears were still ringing. I pushed the boards and metal beams off me and looked around. All I cared about at that moment was finding Leo.

"Leo!" I shouted pushing around debris

"Leo if you can hear me answer me!"

Still nothing I didn't know if it was just the ringing in my ears or Leo but there was nothing.

I continued to push on ignoring my injuries and the pain radiating from my body. Pushing it into the depths of my mind I continued look for Leo. I only stopped when my foot stepped into something wet and when I looked down I could see it was red.


	2. Answer Me

I followed the blood to the source I prayed with all my might that Leo was ok. But when I found Leo I sank to my feet. Leo was trapped under piles and piles of debris his body was on his side while his head was resting on top of his right arm.

I tried moving some of the debris but the more I moved the more tumbled onto him.

I blame myself for all of this. If I didn't run into the warehouse head first Leo wouldn't have had to come with our brothers to help me. He wouldn't have gotten hurt and he wouldn't have had to save me. This was all my fault.

Then a thought came to me. Leo was hurt earlier.

I turned to Leo and tried to shake him to see if he responded to me shaking. But I got nothing. I took my hand off his side but stopped when I felt something moist on it. I prayed I wasn't right. Looking down at it I could only see the one color I hated most in the world. Red.

I took off my knee pads and pressed them against his side to held them down tightly. I reached to move just a few inches a metal rod holding Leo down. But as I removed the rod more debris fell. I covered Leo with my body as everything started to cave us in.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes. My head was killing me and I could barely concentrate.

"Leo please just answer me."

I looked down at my brother who was still silent. I tried to move but the weight of the debris was crushing me and if I moved then Leo was next. My right hand was cut badly from the metal rod I removed. But the sight of blood here didn't sadden but actually put a small smile on my face. It reminded of all those years I hated my brother but then the good times I had with him.

"Answer me Leo."

"Leo please let me just hear your voice."

I reached over and grasped Leo's hand into my.

I chuckled.

Both our hands had cuts on the palms. Our blood mixed with each other as it dripped from the cracks of our hands.

I looked down at my brother and stared at him. I waited and waited for him to finally wake up and either yell at me or joke about the situation. Something we all did when we were trying to make each other feel better.

My vision was starting to get hazy but I kept my head propped up on my hand. I squeezed Leo's hand tightly in my hands. I kept my focus on Leo but as I focused on him I started to see things I didn't want to.

Leo's hand was colder than mine but what made my stomach drop was his chest.

It wasn't moving.

"Leo."

I tried to move but the debris kept me in place.

"Leo answer me"

My vision started to get darker and darker. It was either from the blood loss from the battle earlier or from the concussion from the debris I was protecting Leo from.

"Answer me dammit!"

I was getting more frustrated trying to get Leo to talk to me.

"Please…Leo."

I laid my head on Leo's side and let myself fall into darkness whispering to him and holding his hand tightly in my hand,

"Answer me"

* * *

As darkness took over me I thought I had an out of body experience from the debris that was crushing me.

My younger brothers were calling for Leo and me and I could feel the debris on top of me become lighter and lighter.

A slight tightness from my hand made my heart lighter.

Leo was alive


	3. My Brother

I don't what's happening but all I remember was the fight, explosion then….

 _LEO_

With a burst of energy I stood up quickly and look around my surrounds. My head was wrapped with cloth and so were both my arms from my wrist to my elbows. The bottom part of my torso and my right hand were also bound by bandages.

"OW"

I look down to see Donnie crouched down rubbing his forehead.

"What's your head made of Raph, bricks?"

"Sorry Donnie" I said.

Donnie pulled his lab stool near me and sat at the edge of my bed. He ran through test to make sure when I jolted up in my sleep that I didn't reinjure myself.

"Your lucky you didn't pull any of your stitches Raph." Donnie said.

"I said I was sorry Don."

We both broke into small laughter trying to defuse the already tense situation. I looked around the room and asked,

"Where's Leo?"

Immediately Donnie stopped looking me over and looked down at the floor. My heart instantly became heavy and sank.

 _Dear God No_

* * *

"Donnie I need to know" I said.

But Donnie shook his head.

"You need your rest Raph I'll explain once your better." Donnie said trying to avoid my gaze. But with my good hand I quickly grabbed him by the wrist.

"You better tell me what happened to Leo or else Donatello" I demanded.

My yelling alerted the others that I was awake. Mikey, Master Splinter, April, and Casey burst into the room.

Mikey and Casey pushed me off Donnie and quickly pinned me to the bed.

"Hold him steady I need to sedate him." Donnie commanded.

"Let me go! Where's Leo? Where's my brother?" I demanded.

I struggled under the power of my best friend and brother. Usually I could get them off me but because of my injuries I was only at a quarter of my strength. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping me fighting. Master Splinter was watching from the doorway with sad eyes never looking at me. Donnie quickly sedated me but even as I fell to sleep I continued to call his name.

 _Leo_

* * *

My family and friends kept me sedated until the next day. When I woke up I was no longer in Donne's lab but in my own room. True I slept on a hammock but sometimes I had just a mattress for times it broke and we had to get a new one.

I tried to sit up but this time the pain from my chest was keeping me down.

"Hey"

I looked towards the voice that was calling me. It was my youngest brother Mikey.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Peachy"

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Answers"

Mikey nodded.

"I'll get sensei and Donnie to explain."

"Fine"

Mikey stood up and felt my room.

Was it true did my brother really die back there?

I looked down at my right hand. The blood pack my brother and I made when we were kids and when we were trapped under all that rumble.

No he squeezed my hand just as I was passing out he has to be alive. He was probably moved to his room and was just sleeping when I woke up.

Yeah my big brother is fine just sleeping in the other room and was going to come and see me when he got better.

I pictured him being chained to his bed because he hated staying put for too long. Later when we got better I was going to sit on my knees and listen to him yell at me. I may or may not gripe and yell back at him but in the end I would happy just having him there for me after all of this.

I closed my hand tightly and placed it over my chest and waited for my father and brothers to return.

* * *

In the end I fell back to sleep because when I woke up Mikey and Donnie were leaning against the wall in my room slumped over each other in deep sleep. My father was sitting by my bed side in deep mediation. I was going to leave them alone when my father's voice rang through my ears.

"Raphael, my son"

I turned to face my father. We both stared each other in the eye. He moved to wake my other two brothers then moved back with them behind him. They sat on their knees by my bed. I tried to sit up again but Donnie ushered me back down.

"You need to stay down Raph or you'll pull your stitches." Donnie said.

"I know, I know you told me last time I'll be careful."

"Good" Donnie replied.

"Does anything hurt?" Mikey asked.

"No I can't really move though." I answered.

"You'll be like that for a while Raph there's something we need to tell you." Donnie said.

I looked at my family, Mikey's eyes started to tear up while Donnie tried to hold himself together.

"My son do you remember the accident?" Splinter asked me.

"Yeah, I shielded Leo from debris when I tried to free him and I got trapped myself." I said.

"Anything else?" Splinter asked.

"No sensei, why do you ask? Can't you ask Leo if he remembers anything" I asked.

As soon as his name slipped my lips Mikey broke down and sobbed grasping my bandaged name between his. The carefully built dams Donnie had broke and tears fell from his eyes and onto my bandaged arm.

* * *

"Tell right now or I swear I'll get up and find out myself. What happened to Leo?" I demanded.

While my brothers couldn't formed words my father rested his paw on top of my head and said the words I dreaded.

"Your brother is dead."

I couldn't say anything I tried to get up but my brothers through their sobbing and tears held me down. I calmed down a bit because I knew there was more he wanted to say.

"What else?" I demanded.

My brothers and father looked at each other and knew they had to tell me. I could feel my heart sit in my stomach. My friends heard me yell and came in for support and to help my family keep me on my bed.

"What else is there father?" I demanded once again.

"My son your brother died saving your life."


	4. My New Vow

This is how my family explained it to me.

After the explosion Donnie immediately called our friends Casey and April for help and for sensei to bring the battleship.

While they waited for the arrival of our friends and father Donnie and Mikey went to work trying to find us. But thanks to Mikey and his great hearing he could hear me muttering and talking to Leo. Donnie and Mikey worked to get the debris off our backs but a large metal beam and slab of concrete blocked us from them. Only when our father and friends came were they able to rescue us.

 _"Oh my God" Mikey exclaimed._

 _"We need to get them out now." Donnie commanded._

Donnie explained to me that a metal rod fell and went from my shell through my plastron into Leo's side. They cut the rod and pulled us apart quickly wrapping the areas where the rod entered and exited on me and assessed Leo. Donnie and April knew that the area where the rod entered and exited would kill me if removed but if they didn't remove it then I would still die.

 _"What's wrong my son?" Splinter asked with a concerned look on his face._

 _"I-I can't save him." Donnie choked out_

 _"What do you mean, Donnie?" Mikey asked._

 _"The rod pierced his abdomen and went through his liver. We can't remove it or keep it in because he'll die without a transplant." April explained._

No one knew what to do. We all had our blood tested so we knew that only Leo and I could do the transplant but no one wanted to try something like that and being placed on a transplant list was out of the question. They decided to take us home and discuss it more.

* * *

The drive back home was somber and quiet no one knew what to do. Would they lose someone that night? As they were traveling back home Leo's condition became worse. The wound he received saving Mikey and from the rod implying him in the same area did more damage than they thought. They had to pull over into an alleyway and try to save Leo but the damage was too severe.

Leo woke up for a bit and when the news of me came in and the damage to himself he said.

 _"Give it to Raph."_

 _"What? What are you saying?" Donnie asked._

 _"Raph and I are compatible you need to give it to him."_

 _Donnie shook his head._

 _"No Leo I can't do that. I can't-"_

 _"I rather you lose one brother than two."_

 _Leo was right about his way of thinking like usual. Donnie loaded Leo's system with morphine so that he could have a painless death. Leo grasped my hand with his. The cuts on both our palms meshed together as he told everyone what we did as kids._

 _"I never forgot Raph. Just like now I will always be there for you and everyone."_

* * *

Leo died a few minutes later. But grieving had to wait, Casey was the only who could drive at the time so after a short while Donnie and April went to work testing and retesting both Leo's blood against mine to make sure it would work.

Unfortunately the test came up positive. Donnie googled and took out medical books on transplants while April and Mikey went to work getting everything ready for the operation. Master Splinter went to say his last goodbyes to Leo then moved to the living room to be with his youngest son as they waited on the news of the operation.

The operation was a success and I lived.

I didn't know what to do after being told that my brother was dead and I had his liver inside me. I laid in bed for hours unable to process what happened. I tried to get up multiple times but my brothers and best friend kept me on my bed. I waited and waited until it was time to see my brother. With help from Casey and my brothers they helped me into Leo's room. The air was cold and still I walked into the room without help while everyone else waited by the doorframe.

I walked up to his bed excepting him to turn over and yell at me for entering his room without being invited in. But when I stood over his bed I could see part of his hand sticking out from under the covers. His healthy forest green skin was grey and cold to the touch. I slowly took the blanket off tears formed and fell off my face and onto his body. I didn't care if people saw me crying because my great pride shattered the moment I saw my brother's body. I was thankful that Donnie and April stitched up the area they had to remove his liver from and all the other places that were cut from the battle and explosion.

* * *

I fell to my knees and grasped my brother's cold hand into mine. I removed the bandage covering the cut on my right hand and threw the bandages to the floor. I held my brother's right hand with my own. The blood bond between us would remain even in death.

 _I swear I'll protect them. Just promise to continue watching over us._

There was silence all around but I could swear I could hear him tell me

 _I promise_

We buried Leo the next day under the large oak tree at Casey grandmother's farm. A small gathering between family and friends gathered to the turned earth. Mikey, Donnie, and Casey lowered Leo into the hole with Master Splinter holding onto my arm and leaning against me heavily. I had my own cane I had to lean on because of my ankle and weak body. Casey returned to April's side and held her tightly in his grasp. She sobbed onto his chest while Casey tried to hold back his tears but as the dirt entered the hole everything was gone and Casey rested his cheek against the top April's head and cried.

Donnie and Mikey didn't have to but they wanted to, replacing the dirt back into the earth. As the last of the dirt entered the hole and a marker was placed at the head. The Hamato family and human friends weep and stayed by their fallen brother's side until the sun fell and the moon rise.

My younger brothers and I made a pack that day over our older brother's side. It was the small pack I made with Leo when we were children. The cut and blood dripped off our hands and onto the turned soil. Tying us together even in death.

* * *

 _To the brother that we lost and the ones that stand today. We will never forget what you did for us or what will happen in the future. Though there will be times that we cry and weep for you and ask for you to be by our sides. We will always remember that never in body but in spirit you will be there. Brothers stand side by side through thick and thin. You will never be forgot._


End file.
